SAN ANTONIO — San Antonians are seeking a hand up to create a better life. Thousands are getting that opportunity to by continuing their education.
Joel Bongwele loves working at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in San Antonio.
“Walking around, seeing people, inspiring people — that’s what I do,” he said.
After nearly six years with University Health, he’s now an environmental services supervisor. A long time coming for the father of four who started as a hospital housekeeper.
“It was a struggle in the beginning with my wife,” Bongwele said. “But this program with this new position helped me financially.”
Bongwele is one of 1,200 graduates of San Antonio’s Ready to Work program.
“If you want to grow, get some knowledge,” Bongwele said. “That’s what I did.”
In six months, he was able to earn multiple computer certifications, qualifying him for this new opportunity at the hospital.
More than 6,500 San Antonians have enrolled in this city-funded program in two years. During his State of the City address, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Ready to Work has the potential to change the Alamo City’s economic trajectory.
“Education, workforce development are pathways out of poverty,” Nirenberg said. “If we are sincere in our desire to end cycles of poverty, this is what that work looks like.”
Fourteen percent of Texans live below the poverty line. Recently, Bookings Institute ranked the San Antonio region first for geographic inclusion. Closing the income and poverty gaps between the most and least advantaged.
“Making sure people in our community have economic mobility,” Nirenberg said. “What we are doing here is creating generational change in terms of turning back reversing cycles of poverty.”
For Bongwele the program was a first step. Now he’s working on a computer science degree.
“Ready to Work is a platform that gets you where you want to go,” he said.
His family is benefiting from the opportunity and San…
